Page 13 of Boss of Attraction
“Yeah, I invited Declan up here for the weekend. Don’t worry, I informed the Secret Service ahead of time.” He turned to his father and winked before sitting back in his seat. “We’ve been studying for the bar together and figured a change of scenery might help us out a bit. Anyway, he ran into some car trouble, but he’s on his way now.”
“So everything’s good?” I inquired, and Patrick and Mary both glanced at me. “He interned at the firm last summer and started as a law clerk a couple of weeks ago,” I offered as an explanation for why I was suddenly concerned about their son’s friend.
“I hope that’s okay with you,” Fallon said. “I didn’t think having your employee here would be a problem.”
“Not a problem at all.”
Why would it be?
7
DECLAN
Betsy wason her last leg. She was my twenty-something-year-old Kia Sportage I’d had since I’d turned eighteen seven years ago. We’d been through a lot together. From my first blow job, to me moving to Boston and having to make the five-hour drive with her loaded down with everything I’d owned at the time, which hadn’t been much more than my clothes.
Of course, as I drove to Fallon’s parents’ Cape Cod home, she overheated. It wasn’t unusual, especially in the summer, but it still sucked. I had to pull over, wait for it to cool down and then I topped her off with antifreeze. I kept water and antifreeze in the trunk for that reason because I never knew when she would have a meltdown.
As I pulled up to the house, the Secret Service guys gave me a quick nod and then I parked behind a silver Porsche I’d never seen before. It wasn’t my first time at the Donnelleys’ Cape Cod home, and I didn’t think the car belonged to anyone in the family unless Faye had gotten a new one. I knew their brother Finnegan wouldn’t be at the house because ever since his actions had almost gotten Fallon killed, he hadn’t been invited to things that involved Fallon.
Grabbing my bag out of the back, I walked up the stairs and the door swung open. Fallon welcomed me with a huge smile.
“Welcome,” he said and stepped back so I could enter. “We’re just having a drink and catching up. Do you want anything?”
“Sure. Whatever everyone else …”—I trailed off as I saw Sean sitting in a seat next to Fallon’s dad—“is having.”
Our eyes locked, and we both smiled.
“Mr. Rivers.” Sean greeted me and stood to shake my hand. I realized the Porsche must be his, even though I’d never actually seen what he drove before.
“Bossman. Didn’t know you’d be here.” We shook.
“You can never say no to the president.” He chuckled.
I walked to Mr. Donnelley and stuck out my hand. “Mr. President.”
He stood. “How many times do I have to remind you that you can call me Patrick?”
“I know, but it’s not every day I get to rub elbows with the leader of our country. My friends back home would be jealous.”
We shook too. “I’m not the president here. Just think of me as Fallon’s father.”
I knew he was trying to put me at ease, but it was hard to think of him as anything but the president, since Secret Service agents were everywhere and hewasthe president of the United States, but I went with it.
“Of course.” I smiled and hugged Fallon’s mom.
I turned and grabbed the drink Fallon had poured for me. It looked like whisky, but I didn’t ask. Instead, I shook Rhett’s hand. “Good to see you, man.”
“You too,” he replied.
“What’s this about car trouble?” Sean asked.
My eyes flicked to Fallon, and he lifted a shoulder.
“Betsy loses her cool sometimes,” I stated.
Everyone stared at me as though I had two heads.
“My car. Sorry. I named her Betsy,” I explained as I took a seat next to Fallon and Rhett on one couch.
